Will the real Carboy Please Stand Up

[bkisel]

I don't know of I can even get my hands on bbs. So they are regulated to have the exact capacity?

I filled one of my primary buckets with water to the 6 gallon ridge line and then poured all the water into a BB. The water came right up to the neck of the BB. Of course racking off the lees and such you'll come up short of the neck but a whole lot less short than with my Italian glass carboys.

My guess is that they are regulated to a consistent size due too the manufacturing process.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Just racked a 6 gal Gewurtztraminer to a "6gal" Italian carboy and it only came up to the shoulders! Argh! I knew that was going to happen based on this enlightening thread! Also racked my 5 gal Gamay to a "5gal" plastic carboy which is the one I filled yesterday with 5.5gals. The juice also came up only to the shoulders! I better figure this out shortly! This is the Gewurtztraminer

 

[ckvchestnut]

Btw I just measured a new 3gal Italian carboy that I got recently for my blueberry peach port. It was right on the money. My other two seemed to be fine as well? Is this only an issue with 5 and 6 gal sizes?

 

[cintipam]

I have a couple 3 gallon, and they measure out at 3 gallon plus 3 extra cups. Most of the carboys I have of size have 3 extra cups over the stated measurement. My 6 gal Better Bottles are pretty true to size tho. I've found that if I go out of fermenting bucket to better bottle, at next racking it fits 5 gallon and extra 3 liters. Luckily I have lots of 3 liters, and use them a lot more than I thought I would.

Pam in cinti

 

[ckvchestnut]

Hmmm interesting! I measured mine out with a gallon jug and poured exactly 3 of these Ito the carboy and the level went to the bottom ring in the neck!

 

[ckvchestnut]

What the heck are these? I bought them through Kijiji for $10 each - supposed to be 5 gal carboys. The openings are way too big for my #11 bungs! Will have to find something suitable for bungs. They are Pyrex and made in USA.




Carolyn

 

[JetJockey]

Carolyn,
They're nice. Do they hold 5 gallons? That makes it easier to stir and get fruit, etc. into the opening! I've never seen them before. My local shop has 5 gallon carboys that look exactly like the italian 6.5 gal carboys. My 5 gallon carboys take the same stopper as the 6.5 gal ones.

 

[ckvchestnut]

These are supposed to hold 5 gals but I will have to measure as usual. At bigger holes will need new bungs? Hope they make them that big!


Carolyn

 

[ckvchestnut]

Hmmm couldn't find large enough bungs for these. Have to use a large cork stopper with a hole drilled in...


Carolyn

 

[Runningwolf]

Carolyn, those carboys look great. I would have grabbed those in a heart beat. You can order rubber bungs to fit them.

You have to remember if you're filling up a gallon jug to test your carboys you're adding more than a gallon each time. Gallon jugs are not filled to the top. next time you buy a glass gallon jug filled with liquid mark where it is filled to. If you have a decent beaker with ml's marked on it, you could add 3785 ml's of water to it and mark the jug.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks Runningwolf! You are correct at pointing that out! Further to that I was counting my 4 liter jugs as gallons when trying to measure some fill lines on some of my other carboys - promptly gave up after I realized that a gal is not quite 4 liters!! I have a good measuring cup that has mls and will have to painstakingly measure out the right amount in order to get this right! I have a Gamay batch sitting in a 5 gal spring water jug, waiting to be racked into one of those carboys. But when I racked it to that miserable jug I realized that was not 5 Gals either because where handle is located on the jug it indents and is less than 5 gals. So i have the extra in the fridge in a wine bottle. Fun stuff I tell you!!


Carolyn

 

[ckvchestnut]

Meant to ask where can I order bungs bigger than #11? I'll look around some more


Carolyn

 

[Runningwolf]

Carolyn let me tell you a little secret and if you tell anyone I said it I'll deny it and make a fool out of you. Now just between us, the U.S. really screwed up using our numbering system. Back in the 70's there was a push to convert to metric and once again they blew it. We should have just bit the bullet, sucked up the pains for a few years and done it. Many people here don't realize how much easier it would make their lives or the lives of the future generation. Ok enough, remember I never said that.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Ah Musca has 12s that will probably work! Has anyone seen these Pyrex jugs? I they look well made at least. Larger neck will make adding stuff and stirring easier.


Carolyn

 

[Runningwolf]

I bet if you find them on ebay they'll cost many times more than you paid for them. Incidentally I have one just like those only it's closer to 13 gallons. I saw a few on ebay close to $200.

 

[jamesngalveston]

carolyn, search for 5 gallon pyrex jugs...you will be very pleased ....

 

[ckvchestnut]

I'm sure lol I only paid $10 each from an online ad


Carolyn

 

[ckvchestnut]

I bet if you find them on ebay they'll cost many times more than you paid for them. Incidentally I have one just like those only it's closer to 13 gallons. I saw a few on ebay close to $200.

Wha??? Lol why so costly? Anyone know what they were designed for or is it simply because they are Pyrex thus versatile?


Carolyn

 

[Runningwolf]

I'm sure lol I only paid $10 each from an online ad


Carolyn

Here you go $150

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pyrex-Carbo...773?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a352d58f5

 

[ckvchestnut]

Carolyn let me tell you a little secret and if you tell anyone I said it I'll deny it and make a fool out of you. Now just between us, the U.S. really screwed up using our numbering system. Back in the 70's there was a push to convert to metric and once again they blew it. We should have just bit the bullet, sucked up the pains for a few years and done it. Many people here don't realize how much easier it would make their lives or the lives of the future generation. Ok enough, remember I never said that.

Haha ya my life would be easier if a gallon was in fact 4 liters since everything comes in 4 liter jugs here!


Carolyn